La casa Italia Dolce
by Evanescent Darkness
Summary: (NOW FINISHED!) Otto's maternal grandparents send him two tickets to Italy to come visit them, so he brings Sunny. Will Otto's crazy Italian family drive Sunny up the walls or will she and Otto have a great time? R&R pleez!
1. Default Chapter

(A/N: This story takes place in Florence, Italy, just so you know. Thanks for all the reviews, and sorry it's taking so long to write more chapters…if you have any ideas, please feel free to post them, and if I put them in my next chapter, I promise to give you credit! Thanks!)  
  
La casa Italia Dolce (Home Sweet Italy)  
  
Otto sat on the plane beside Sunny. "I can't believe you brought me to Italy with you! Your grandparents must be awesome to give you plane tickets to Italy for your birthday," she exclaimed as she kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"You have no idea," he replied with a sigh. He was so worried his family would aggravate her. His mom's side of the family was Italian, and they were proud of it, not to mention a little bit crazy. "I'm going to warn you, they are very eccentric. Don't take what they say seriously."  
  
"Aw, come on, they can't be that bad. I'm sure I'll love them." She leaned her head on Otto's shoulder and slowly fell asleep. They had about five more hours out of their eleven-hour trip to go, so he put his arm around her and fell asleep as well.  
  
They both woke up when the stewardess spoke loudly into the microphone. "We will be landing in five minutes, so everyone please fasten your belt for safety. Thank you for flying Air Italy, and have a nice trip."  
  
"Yay, were almost there!" Sunny sat up and took her mini brush from her purse and began to comb down her hair.  
  
Otto was a little worried still; he didn't want his family to scare his girlfriend, or say anything rude to her.  
  
The plane landed with little turbulence, and the passengers began to file slowly out of the plane. Otto and Sunny walked hand in hand out of the plane towards the luggage holder. They ran into his grandparents before they got there.  
  
"Otto, mio bel nipote, how you've grown!" yelled his grandmother, running towards him with wide-open arms. "Oh, it's so great to see you again! You have no idea L'ho mancato!"  
  
"Well, il figlio, who's this? Is she a l'amica we don't know about? Why you gonna keep something like this from your il nonno, eh?" greeted his grandfather. He was short and plump, with a continuing bald spot on his head. He had dark skin and deep green eyes, just like Otto.  
  
"No, il nonno, I'm sorry. This is Savannah, my friend. She's from back home," explained Otto.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Savannah. Ah, you're a very la bella ragazza. Otto is lucky to have a l'amica like you," chuckled his grandfather.  
  
"Thanks, I think. It's nice to meet you, too, Mister? Uh, what's you're last name again?" Sunny asked.  
  
"Belvidere," added Mrs.Belvidere.  
  
Sunny smiled and whispered to Otto, "Otto, I have no idea some of the stuff they are saying! And you never told me you could speak Italian!"  
  
"Eh, sorry. My grandpa said you were beautiful, and it was good I had a la bella, er, pretty girlfriend like you," he explained.  
  
She nodded and continued to talk to Mrs.Belvidere.  
  
"Well, we can chit-chat when we get la casa. Let's go, Cascata! We got lunch on la tavola. We're having pizza, just to show you I bambini americani how la pizza is really done," argued Mr. Belvidere.  
  
"Marco Raffaello, vado colpirlo con la pizza se lei non cessa di urlare!"  
  
Otto shook his head and took Sunny's hand and walked to the car.  
  
"Here we are, la casa casa dolce, home sweet home," stated Marco Belvidere. The small apartment smelled of fresh pizza and coffee. Sunny took in the smell with warmth.  
  
"You have a nice house, Mrs.Belvidere," she complimented.  
  
"Ringraziarlo, caro un, we try. So, what would you two like to drink? Il vino, la birra? We have plenty."  
  
Otto's eyes got wide. "Um, la nonna, we don't drink wine or beer. Do you have some Coke or other soda?"  
  
She shrugged. "We have some soda, if that's what you prefer, la bevanda morbida. I'll get you two some Mello Yellos." She walked into the kitchen. 


	2. The Surprise

"Come on, h il tempo di cena, time to eat!" exclaimed Mr.Belvidere. He patted his stomach and motioned Otto and Sunny into the kitchen.   
Otto pulled out a chair for Sunny, then sat down himself. He eyed the pizza, ready to eat, but Sunny sat motionless, and gave him a funny look. He looked back at her, with the same look. She nodded her head towards his grandparents. They had their heads bowed, ready to ask the blessing. Oops, Otto thought.  
"Otto, inchinarsi la sua testa, essere rispettoso! You're la nonna is about to pregare," scolded his grandfather.  
"Dolente, I'm sorry." He looked down at the table as he listened to his grandmother's thick Italian voice.   
"Caro, ringrazia lei per tutto, e per il mio prezioso ed il suo bello prende qui. Per favore di benedire questo cibo. Amen."  
As soon as the word was done, Otto shoveled a slice of pizza into his mouth. He noticed his grandparents were staring at him peculiarly. Sunny had a slice of pizza halfway in her mouth; she put it back down onto her plate.   
"Il nipote, what are you doing? There is a la signora present; you let her eat first, house rules." His grandmother took a sip of wine.   
"Sorry. It's just at my house..."   
Mrs. Belvidere interrupted. "Well, in la mia casa, you abide by my rules. Eh, you can't tell i bambini americani anything, you kids have no manners."  
"I'm sorry, la nonna."  
"Eh."  
Sunny smiled, giggled, and began eating. Then Otto started to eat his crumpled pizza. Mr. Belvidere sat upright and smiled.  
"To celebrate your arrival, we decided to rent a limo, and send you two out on a night on the town! Our friend, Phillipio, will be driving you. He will give you una tournée della nostra cittB dolce in Italia, a tour of our city in Italy. You will be site-seeing and going to a romantic restaurant for dessert, and il gran finale, a la barca ride down the canal."  
Sunny and Otto both looked at each other with excitement. "Awesome!" they said in unison.  
"Alright, the limo will be here at seven. Now, don't you bambinis dress in jeans a t-shirts," added Mrs. Belvidere. "What will you two be wearing?"  
Otto and Sunny looked bewildered. "Well, I didn't bring anything special. All I brought were jeans and a t-shirt," Sunny said with sorrow.  
"I brought some khakis and a rugby shirt just in case," Otto informed.  
"Otto, you are fine. Now, Savannah, I know just the thing. I have kept it for years, and you look about my size when I was a girl." Mrs. Belvidere sat up and walked down the hall to her room.   
Sunny got a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to hurt Mrs.Belvidere's feelings, but she didn't want to wear some goofy frock either. 


	3. Night On the Town

Mrs. Belvidere walked out of her room and into the living room, where everyone was currently sitting. She held a tan, zip-up bag that smelled of musty moth balls and dust. She lied the bag down onto the couch and unzipped it, pulling out a beautiful spaghetti-strap dress, shimmering in a shade of pastel green, the bottom cut into a handkerchief-like way. It looked classic, beautiful, and sophisticated all at the same time, and also brand new.  
Sunny gasped, in awe. "Oh my God, it's gorgeous! You must have had great style back then!" She stood up and held the dress up to her. It seemed like it would fit.  
Mrs. Belvidere laughed. "Yes, il miele, and I still do. It looks like it will fit you; why don't you go try it on?" She lead Sunny to a room and closed the door behind her, going back into the living room.  
They waited for a few minutes. Suddenly, Sunny called from the room, "Can someone come zip this?"   
Mrs. Belvidere stood and walked back to the room. Otto and his grandfather heard her gasp.  
Mrs. Belvidere returned to the living room. "I would now like to present Savannah, the beautiful la giovane signora, oh she looks like la dea, a goddess, in that dress."  
Sunny sauntered into the room, the dress barely hanging like a wisp in the back below her knees. Otto's jaw dropped.  
"Wow...you're...you're...beautiful. I mean, you look magnifico!" He smiled and couldn't help but stare.   
Sunny stopped smiling, and looked at Mrs.Belvidere. "I have no shoes, and how am I going to do my hair and make up?"   
Mrs.Belvidere smiled. "Dear, you let me worry about that, okay? My daughter can fix you up so glamourous, people will really mistake you for a goddess!"  
Sunny looked in the mirror with complete awe. She didn't even look like herself. Her hair hung below her shoulder in loose curls. The fine, iridescent glitter on her face made her look like a mystical being. She was drop-dead gorgeous tonight. "Wow, how do you do that?"  
Otto's Aunt, Selene, laughed softly, "I am a cosmetologist, caro, that's what I specialize in."   
"Well, it's 6:57, the limo is here, and we need to head back to the house to pick up Otto. You can't be late, you know," argued Mrs.Belvidere as she grabbed Sunny's hand and took her out the door to the limo.  
"Il nonno, the limo is here!" Otto yelled to his grandfather. "I'll see you when I get home, and thanks a lot!" He ran out the door and down the porch to the limo. As he opened the door, Sunny stepped out, dressed in her dress and dolled up in make-up. Otto was mesmerized. "Oh my God, you do look like a goddess." He put his hands around her waist and kissed her lightly on the lips. He opened the limo door and let her in, then went in behind her.  
"So, where we going first tonight, get some dessert?" asked Phillipio, the driver.  
"I guess," Otto replied. He put his arm around Sunny and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love you," he whispered softly into her ear.   
"I love you too." She cuddled closer to him. She loved the way he smelled of an ocean breeze. She thought he looked sexy tonight as well. He was wearing khakis and a green rugby shirt. His hair wasn't in dreads; it was hanging loosely, wisps of dark red bangs hanging near his deep green eyes. His out fit really set out his California beach-boy tan, too.   
They finally arrived at "La casa di Dolce," the restaurant where they would get some dessert. Phillipio opened the door for them, Otto getting out first, taking Sunny's hand to help her out. He put his arm around her waist and walked in.   
A host in a tux greeted them. "Buona sera, il dessert per due?"   
Sunny looked confused, but Otto knew exactly what he was saying. "SX, per favore. Oh, e potremmo prendere un posto di esterno, lei sa, dunque possiamo guardare le stelle?"  
"What did you say to him?" Sunny asked.   
"You'll see."  
The host guided them outside to a table on the balcony. He placed two menus on the table as they sat down. "Il suo cameriere sarB qui in alcuni minuti di portare il suo ordine."  
"I ringraziamenti," Otto thanked him. "So, how do you like my Italian sense of l'idillio?"  
"What?" Sunny asked.  
"What do you think of my sense of romance? I was asking him if he could give us a seat under the stars."  
Sunny smiled at him and held his hand across the table. "Yes, I do."  
By time the waiter arrived, they had decided what they wanted, and Otto told him what they wanted. "Un grande latteé di moka, e due fette di sogno di cioccolata." 


	4. Being Spontaneous

They both stared up at the stars. "You know, I've thought about something. Instead of sight-seeing, do you want to take the canal ride first, then sit on the rooftop of my grandparent's house and look at the stars?" Otto looked at Sunny quizzically.  
"Sure, I was thinking that too." She put her hand on the table, hoping he would hold it. She was only twelve, and he thirteen, but there was nothing stopping her from loving him.  
The waiter strolled out onto the balcony with one mocha lattee and two slices of Chocolate Dream cake. They both began to eat the cake, anticipating the rest of the night.   
When they were through eating, they walked back outside, Philipio waiting in the limo.  
"So, coppia bella, where we going now, la canali?" Philipio asked.  
Otto leant up into the speaker in the back. "Yeah, then after that, we just want a ride around town and then to go home, is that okay?"  
Philipio laughed. "SX. Canal ride, then you want to go back to your la nonna's?"  
"Yeah." Otto sat back and put his arm around Sunny, leaning over for a kiss. She kissed him gently, then pulled away and leant her head on his shoulder.  
They both stepped out of the limo, and walked to the small pier on the edge of the river. Otto talked to the man standing in the long boat, and handed him some Lira (Italian money.) He stepped in first, then held out his hand to help Sunny in, but she hesitated, and looked down upon her high-heeled shoes.   
"Sarebbe forse meglio portare le scarpe via da," the man spoke with a thick Italian accent. Sunny looked at Otto in confusion.  
He smiled and translated. "He said maybe it would be better if you took your shoes off and held them."   
Sunny smiled and did so, stepping cautiously into the boat, grasping Otto's hand tightly. She sat down beside him, and drew closer to him, letting his arm slip around her shoulder. He embraced her lightly. They sat and watched as they glided stealthily down the river, under passing bridges linking cobblestone streets across the murky water.   
"This was a really nice thing for your grandparents to do. It's so romantic," Sunny said.   
Otto nodded, in agreement. He sighed, and Sunny turned to look up at him. "What?"  
"Just thinking."  
"About?" She was curious to know.  
"I was just thinking, that, you know how you are always saying, 'Be spontaneous, try something new?' Well, maybe we should try something new, I mean, if you want to." There was a peculiar nervousness in his voice she was afraid of.  
"You don't mean...we're only thirteen! We'll, I'm twelve..." Otto interrupted her.  
"No, no, no! I don't mean that! You think I'm crazy? I was thinking about going further, but not that far! I meant like, um...you know, like..." he couldn't get the words out.  
Sunny sighed, relieved. She knew Otto, and she mentally slapped herself at just the thought of him thinking that. She knew what he was talking about now, anyway. "You mean like, French kissing, right?"  
"Uh, yeah. I mean, it's up to you, really. I mean, you hear people talk about how great it is, so I wanted to be spontaneous and see how it really is. You know..." he stuttered.   
"I guess. At least we won't have to hide beside the bathroom and get our friends to cover for us, like Reggie and Hunter used to do," Sunny jested. She and Otto burst out laughing.   
It had been almost thirty minutes, then the boat turned sharply, scraping against the side of the small pier. Otto thanked the canal man and helped Sunny out. They both got into the limo, and drove to his grandparents house in silence. Sunny was anxious about sitting on the rooftop and watching the stars; she wasn't so much anxious about that, she just had an edgy feeling in her stomach. She was getting nervous about what might happen on the roof.  
They arrived at his grandparent's house an hour later, it being nine-thirty or so. They thanked the driver and walked into the house.  
"So, how was your time? Did you have fun?" asked Mrs. Belvidere immediately.   
"It was really awesome." Sunny took off her shoes and held them in her hand. "I'm ready to change. I'll come back down here in a sec." She ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her.   
Otto hugged both his grandparents. "Thanks for tonight. We had a great time, but we changed our minds about the site seeing; that's why we're back so early. I asked her if she'd like to sit on the roof and watch the stars; it's a beautiful night."  
His grandmother smiled. "Oh, how romantic you are, nipote. You have your la nonno's sense of l'idillio; you really know how to impress a ragazza. Now, why don't you go change into some comfy clothes. Your signora giusta will be waiting." She hurried him up the stairs.  
Sunny waited on the couch in super low-rise jeans and a glittery halter top, waiting for Otto. He finally appeared at the top of the stairs. "Come on, it's up here," he shouted to Sunny. She got up and perambulated up the staircase. 


	5. Romance On the Rooftop

He found the door knob, and opened it. He pulled Sunny onto the flat rooftop. She took in a sharp breath, amazed at how beautiful the small city was at night. She could see the canal where they had ridden earlier, and she could barely see the dessert restaurant.   
"It's so beautiful up here. I don't even have the words..." Sunny was awestruck. She sat down on a cement object she didn't recognize. Otto sat down beside her, putting his arm around her.   
"I..." Otto wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what to say. His mind was blank. There were so many things he could say to her, but the only thing that would come out of his mouth was meaningless stutter. Instead, he thought, this moment needs more than words. He put his hand under her chin and turned her head so she would be looking straight at him.   
She knew what was going to happen, and her stomach twisted with anxiety. She wanted to try something new as much as he did, but she was scared she would mess up. He encircled his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She felt a tremor of exhilaration run through her, yet she relaxed and her natural reactions took over. She placed her hands lightly on his face and titled her head slightly. She let his lips press against his.   
He parted his lips and let his tongue brush lightly across hers. A low roll of thunder rumbled across the silent city, sending a spear of lightning down, illuminating the rooftop. Small pellets of rain began to pour down from the thunder clouds, then the bottom dropped out and it began to pour. They kept kissing for a few more minutes, then pulled apart, and ran inside. 


	6. Surprise, Surprise

Otto sat on the couch in the living room, hair sticking out in all directions, where he had just dried it and didn't have it in dreads yet. He glanced upstairs to see Sunny coming down in her pajamas with little stars on the pants. She gasped, then realizing she had on no make-up.  
"Oh, man," she said, covering up her face.  
Otto laughed, "Don't worry, I don't care. You look fine." Sunny sat down beside him.  
Mrs. Belvidere walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray with two mugs of hot cocoa. She handed the mugs to Otto and Sunny. "We're having dinner at your Aunt Vivana's tomorrow night. Don't worry about dressing up, either, because it's family, even though everyone will be there. Savannah, I hope they don't scare you; they're very loud."  
Sunny shook her head. "No, I'm sure they won't." She sipped her cocoa, and leaned back into the couch.  
Mrs. Belvidere said goodnight, left, and went into her bedroom to read, where Mr.Belvidere was. Otto stood and stretched his arms up towards the ceiling. "Well, I'm wiped. I'm gonna crash."  
Sunny nodded, and stood as well. "So, where am I sleeping?"  
Otto thought for a minute. "I can sleep downstairs, so they won't think things, even though we'd never do anything. Follow me and I'll show you where the guest bedroom is."  
She did so, trailing behind him up the stairs. She knew he knew she knew (A/N: Whew, a lot of knew's!) where the guest bedroom was, he was just looking for an excuse to kiss her goodnight without his grandparents seeing.  
Otto walked to a room on the right and opened the door. "Here. Well, goodnight." He leant over to Sunny, kissing her lightly.  
"G'night, love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him quickly.  
"Love you, too." He walked back downstairs.  
Sunny leaned over the banister, and watched him walked into the hallway and listened to hear his door close softly. She sighed, and went into the bedroom to fall asleep before her head even hit the pillow.  
  
The next morning, Otto woke up, the sun's rays streaking warmly across his face. He wondered if Sunny was up. Pulling back the covers, he stepped quietly onto the floor, not knowing whether his grandparents were up or not. He held his breath, listening, and heard nothing. They were obviously not up yet. He sighed, relieved, and silently treaded into the hallway and made his way up the stairs.  
He slowly opened the door to see Sunny still asleep, rolled up in the covers like a burrito. She's so cute when she sleeps, thought Otto. He walked over to the side of the bed and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. He gently caressed her face and leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips. Over the past night, he had only known her for a couple of months. He had just met her at the beginning of summer. He loved her more than anything, and didn't know what he would do without her.  
Suddenly, Sunny's eyes opened, the sunlight floating across her face, making her look heavenly. "Hey," she said, her voice scratchy from just awaking. She sat up and he scooted closer to her, putting his arm around her.  
"Morning." Otto leaned closer to her, almost kissing her. "I love you," he whispered to her.  
She looked profoundly into his deep green eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered, her lips dangerously close to his. She loved to tease him. She gave him a crooked smile, then pressed her lips into his. He jerked back slightly, surprised at her quick action, then leant more into the kiss. They suddenly broke the kiss to hear a loud clank downstairs in the kitchen.  
"My grandparents must be up." Otto stood up, walked out into the hallway, and looked over the banister. His grandmother was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, his grandfather reading the newspaper in the living room.  
Otto bit his bottom lip, not knowing how he was going to get by his grandparents without them seeing he had been upstairs with Sunny. He had an idea then walked back into the guest bedroom.  
"I'm going to climb down the fire escape and come in through the back door. They always keep the back door unlocked." Otto kissed her quickly, and stealthily walked to the next room where the fire escape was located.  
  
Sunny stood up, stretched, and yawned. She slowly walked into the hallway and down the stairs. The smell of bacon and eggs filled inside her. Her mouth watered as she heard the food sizzling on the cast iron pan. "Mmm." She walked into the kitchen to greet Mrs. Belvidere.  
"Good morning, Savannah. Sleep well?" She flipped the egg over as smoke came from the pan.  
"Yes. That bacon smells really good. I'm soooo hungry!"  
"Ah, yes. I am affamato as well. I'm famished! It will be ready in a few minutes. Where is Otto? I haven't seen him at all this morning."  
Sunny's stomach twisted. She searched her mind for a lie. "Umm, I think he went outside." She technically didn't lie, did she? As soon as Otto was spoken of, he walked in the back door, his shirt off and in his hands.  
"I just wanted to take a breath of fresh air when I got up. Beautiful morning out there. Good day for going out side and soaking up some rays!" Otto wiped his hands on his pajama bottoms.  
Sunny was impressed, both by how quickly Otto came up with an excuse, and by his six-pack. (A/N: Six-pack - it's the abs, you should know that! lol) She never really noticed that, probably because they didn't go surfing often.  
"Really?" Sunny said with sarcasm.  
Otto grabbed Sunny's hand, and led her into the hallway. She immediately questioned him, but he had an answer before she spoke.  
"I had to take off my shirt to cover up parts of the railing. If I didn't I would have cut my hands. That fire escape should be condemned!" He threw the shirt into the room behind him.  
"Hey, I never said I had a problem with you taking off your shirt." Sunny joked and ran her hands up his chest, feeling his athletic muscles, and around his neck.  
He pulled back, then not being able to resist, put his arms around her waist and kissed her passionately. He suddenly recoiled, realizing what he was doing. Sunny looked up at him, bewildered.  
He sighed. "We can't kiss with my grandparents so close; I don't want to get in trouble." A voice suddenly came from behind them.  
"Get in trouble, you say?" Otto's grandmother walked from in the kitchen, hands on her hips. A big smile crossed her face. "Don't worry, le mie piccole colombe, I didn't see you kiss. Besides, even if I did, I wouldn't care. I was your age once, too, you know. Don't mistake me for a sciocco."  
They both let out a sigh of relief. Sunny walked into the kitchen while Otto went to change. 


	7. Tour Day, Part 1

Everyone sat down for breakfast, waited for Mrs. Belvidere to end her prayer, and began to eat. This time, Otto waited for Sunny to start. His grandfather stared at him peculiarly. Otto gave him a big grin. His grandfather mumbled something in Italian that he didn't hear. He began eating anyway.  
Once everyone was through, Otto and Sunny got ready, then walked upstairs and sat on the roof; they were deciding what to do that day.  
"We have a whole day free. Anything in particular you wanna do?" Otto brushed his long red bangs out of his face. Sunny had told him that morning he looked older and better with his hair not in dreads.  
"I don't know; you're the Italian one, you tell me." Sunny scrunched up her nose and make creases appear on her forehead, defining her deep thought.  
Otto's face lit up. "I've got it!" He stood up and ran back inside. Sunny hated it when he got an idea and ran off without telling her; he was bad for that.  
Sunny sat for a few minutes, and was about to go back inside when she heard Otto calling from the outside of the garage in the back yard. She sauntered over to the edge of the roof and saw Otto standing beside a blue motorized scooter. "No way," she whispered to herself. She immediately ran downstairs and outside.  
"Too cute!" Sunny ran her fingers over the seat of the scooter.  
"Il nonno said we could borrow it today, so I can give you a tour of the city. Isn't that awesome?"  
"So awesome. You're grandparents are so cool. I almost wish I lived here." She put her arms around him and he embraced her.  
"Yeah, me too. But I would miss all the waves and my friends. Wanna take her for a test drive? I'll be right back, I'll ask il nonno if we can." He ran inside and came back with a smile on his face. "He said we can take it out, but only for a few minutes. He needs to check some things on it."  
He put a helmet on, then handed her one, and got on. "Come on, and hold on, ha ha ha!"  
Sunny had one more question: "Don't you have to be a certain age to drive?"  
"I don't think so, at least not with a scooter. Are you gonna get on or what?"  
She got on the scooter and put her arms around him, holding on tight. She was kind of nervous, considering she had never rode anything with him before. He assured her he was a good driver, though.  
He cranked it up and drove it out of the driveway and into the street.  
They rode indiscreetly through the streets of Florence. Strangers sitting outside at coffee shops waved at them, as if they had known them for years. Otto decided they had rode enough, since it had been about fifteen minutes, and didn't want to spoil the rest of their day, and turned around.  
"That was kinda fun." Sunny sat her helmet on the scooter.  
"Yeah. I'll get il nonno to come check what ever he needed to check right quick, while I ask la nonna where I can go today." He walked inside, Sunny following.  
"La nonna, la nonna? You in here, la nonna?" Otto called inside the apartment.  
"Il nipote? What is it?" She met them at the backdoor. "Sorry if I worried you, I was doing some laundry. Did you need to ask me something?"  
"Yeah, where are some cool places to go? We need some ideas."  
Mrs. Belvidere walked toward the living room. "Seguirme, follow me." She sat down on the recliner, and Otto and Sunny sat on the couch across from her.  
"I know a few good places to go. The Uffizi Gallery, an art gallery, has many, many paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, and da Vinci. But I know how you i bambini are now a days, you want something cool, eh? Well, the Duomo, a cathedral, is the most beautiful place in Florence. Oh, it is so beautiful. Your il nonno and I would have gotten married there, but it costs way too much denaro. I promise you will love that. Anyway, there is a very peaceful courtyard where the young ones like to 'hang out.' It's called, 'Piazza Santo Spirito,' meaning, 'Holy Square Spirit.' Oh there are so many places here in Florence."  
"You may like to enjoy the sun at Boboli Gardens, eat ice-cream at Vivoli Gelateria, drink coffee in Rivoire café, and listen to music at the Jazz Club. There is much to do there. Here, I will write down the directions for you." She wrote down the directions and handed them to them.  
Mr. Belvidere walked back into the house. "Well, everything is ready. Here is some denaro. Have a good time, amare gli uccelli. Ciao!"  
Otto and Sunny stood up. "Thanks for telling us about all these awesome places, la nonna. We'll be back before it gets too late."  
"You're welcome, ciao."  
They both walked outside and put on their helmets. "Ready?" Otto asked as he got onto the scooter and cranked it up.  
"Yeah." Sunny got on behind him and hugged up tight to him. She was glad he wasn't a reckless driver.  
They decided they would go to Boboli Gardens and hang out most of the day there, because it sounded like there was a lot to do. Then, when it began to get dark, they would head to Piazzo Santo Spirito to look at the stars.  
Otto turned the scooter to the left and down a large street with lots of traffic.  
"Oh my, God." Sunny began to worry that they were going to get hit by a car. She squeezed Otto tighter and closed her eyes.  
Otto looked back at her and smiled, then turned his eyes back on the road. He drove into the traffic with no problems at all, and got through to Boboli Gardens. He parked and they both got off.  
"Wow, this place is pretty big. Wanna go to Vivoli Gelateria to get some ice cream, then get a mocha lattee at Rivoire café?" Otto put his and Sunny's helmet on the scooter.  
"Sounds good to me." Sunny grasped his hand and they walked towards Vivoli Gelateria.  
"What do you want?" Otto stood at the counter and waited on Sunny's response.  
"Um, wanna share a strawberry shake?"  
"Sure. Una scossa di fragola, per favore. Oh, e lo fa un mezzo," he told the man behind the counter. The man went to the back to get some strawberry ice cream and put the ice cream in the blender.  
"Due cinquanta," the man said and handed Otto the shake.  
Otto handed him the money and took the shake in return. "Ringraziamenti."  
"I ringraziamenti, ha un giorno piacevole."  
Sunny sipped on the shake and handed it back to Otto. "That's really good." They sat down at a table under a giant umbrella. 


	8. Tour Day, Part 2

Otto took a sip of the shake. "Yeah, that is good. So, we're going to the coffee shop next, right?"  
"Yeah," Sunny nodded. They finished the shake and went over to the Rivoire café.  
They ordered two mocha lattees and sat down. They listened to different people read poetry over an open mic. Most of the poems were in Italian, but there were a few English ones, which were translated over to Italian by someone back stage.  
"Oh, I have a good poem. I memorized it. You'll see what it's about when I get up there." Sunny stood and walked up to a guy standing beside the stage. He nodded and she went back stage.  
"È vicino Morgan di Savana, con 'Perfetto,'" announced the person back stage. Sunny came out from the curtains and walked up to the mic.  
She stated her poem beautifully. "The wind blows through your hair, the salty sea air gritty and warm. I see you enjoy the way it feels; it's a special thing to you. You wait for the perfect set, then you rise for the perfect stance. And when you don't make it, you bite your bottom lip in frustration. Your green eyes piercing, you hair making a halo around your face look aflame. Then you smile wickedly, and start all over again; how perfect you are. You grin, half-heartedly, ready again. Amongst others, you are lonely and misunderstood, your perfection is your shield. It hides you from the rest of the world, a weapon, but sometimes it is held against you. You finally get what you want, your obstinance gets you there. You have the determination, yet, you will never be perfect. Thanks." She sat walked off stage and sat back down as people clapped. (A/N: I had to do this.dunno why.here is the poem in Italian: Il vento soffia attraverso il suoi capelli, il salty aereo arenoso e caldo. Vedo che lei piace la maniera che sente; esso's una cosa speciale a lei. Lei aspetta la serie perfetta, poi lei sorge per la posizione perfetta. E quando lei indossa't lo fa, lei morde il sua labbro inferiore nella frustrazione. Il suo piercing di occhi verde, lei i capelli che fando un alone intorno la sua faccia guardano infiammato. Poi lei sorride malvagiamente, e comincia ancora una volta; come perfetto lei sono. Lei sogghigna, tiepido, pronto ancora. Tra gli altri, lei sono solitario e frainteso, la sua perfezione è la sua protezione. Lo nasconde dal riposo del mondo, un'arma, ma qualche volta è tenuto contro lei. Lei prende finalmente che lei vuole, il suo obstinance lo prende lí. Lei ha la determinazione, ancora, lei non sarà mai perfetto.)  
"You did great, meraviglioso!" Otto hugged her and handed her her mocha lattee. He looked at his watch. "Man, it's already five. We've been here for about two hours. Let's head to the Jazz Club, stay there for about an hour and a half, then go to Piazza Santo Spirito."  
They stayed at the Jazz Club for about an hour and a half, then headed for Piazza Santo Spirito. It was getting cold out, since it was already quite dark. Sunny forgot to bring her jacket, unaware of Italy's cold nights. Otto let her wear his coat, being generous as he was. (A/N: Doesn't sound like the Otto you know, now does it? lol)  
They finally arrived at Piazza Santo Spirito. There were very few people there, mostly older people anyway. Most of them were on their way out, since it was getting so cold.  
Otto and Sunny found a seat on a bench. "This is the perfect place under the stars. It's not as good as the rooftop, but it's close."  
Sunny shivered, even with Otto's coat on. "I'm f-f-f-freezing." She chattered her teeth.  
Otto encircled his arms around her, making her feel more comfortable. They could hear distant accordians and guitars playing Italian tunes late into the night. It made the moment seem even more romantic.  
Sunny sighed, feeling overwhelmed by everything she had experienced in the past two days.  
"Something wrong?" Otto's face became worried.  
"Nothing at all." Sunny smiled up at him. "You know, when I first met you a few months ago, I never thought I'd be here with you. When you first crashed into me, I had this funny feeling, and I immediately liked you. The serious 'like' began when you walked my to my aunt's. Then I started to love you when you took me surfing."  
He didn't know what to say. "I was really mad when I crashed into you, because I thought you were a shoobie. Then when I looked up at you, I had a funny feeling too. Before I met you, I would have said girls 'aren't my thing.' I would have thought all this kissin' business was gross, too. You've changed me so much, but in a good way."  
"Well, enough with the sap talk, it's making me sick. No, just kidding. You're a pretty good kisser for not having kissed anyone before."  
He blushed and rolled his eyes. "Nah, I'm not that good, but you are. But thanks. You made my first one real speciale."  
Sunny laughed. "Hey, know what I heard? How come they call it French kissing when Italians do it best? I never thought I'd experience that one day." They both laughed.  
"Well you can't experience one good thing too much," Otto said. His hands stroked her shoulders, then smoothed along her back, pulling her closer to him.  
Sunny looked gravely into his sonorous green eyes and he she. She twined her arms around his neck. The exhilarant sensation of the night before, on the rooftop, came back. Except this time, she wasn't worried; she was looking forward to it.  
Otto leaned over, kissing her casually at first, then began to kiss her ardently. His tongue slid languorously beside hers.  
They kissed for a long time. They stopped, then Otto looked at his watch. It was almost 9:30. "Well, we better go. It's getting late. Come on." He put his arm around her and walked her back to the scooter. 


	9. Party or La Festa

When they arrived back at Otto's grandparent's, they walked in to see Mr. and Mrs. Belvidere dancing to "Objection" by Shakira.  
"Oh my, God." Otto stared at his grandparents dancing.  
"Ah, you're home. This Shakira is totally colpire! Ha haa!" Mrs. Belvidere stopped dancing and turned off the CD. "So, how was your time?"  
"It was great. Sunny even read a poem at the Rivoire café." Otto told his grandparents everything they had did that day, except for the kissing. "Hey, wasn't that dinner supposed to be tonight?"  
Mrs. Belvidere nodded. "Si, but they rescheduled it for tomorrow night, which is a good thing; I need to teach you two the saltarello. It's an ancient dance that we Italians still dance today. We certainly know how to party, and party it will be domani la notte. So, come here, oh, and take off your shoes. You can saltarello very well to this Shakira."  
Over the night, Mrs. Belvidere taught Otto and Sunny how to saltarello. They kept tripping, but eventually got better at it.  
"Well, tomorrow night is the night. We will all dance! Our family dinners are so exciting. Well, good night you two." Mrs. Belvidere kissed them both on the cheek and went back to her room with Mr. Belvidere.  
"Man, that was so fun! You're grandmother is really cool. I can't wait for tomorrow night." Sunny walked over to the small boom box and turned on Shakira. She lowered the volume and walked over to Otto and put on her thickest Italian accent. "You are looking quite handsome tonight, boy. Why don't you come dance with me?" She pointed her index finger at him, then motioned it for him to come to her.  
"Why, yes, I'd love to dance with a gorgeous la donna like you, bello." He grasped her hand and they danced for another hour.  
Otto turned off the CD. "I'm beat. I need some il sonno after today."  
"Me too, me too." Sunny walked up a couple of steps up the stairs.  
"Where do you think you're going? You can't just leave with out a buona notte il bacio." Otto smiled deviously.  
Sunny walked back down the stairs, and encircled her arms around his neck. "Good night." She leant up and kissed him, then when she was backing away, he wrapped his arms back around her.  
"Sunny, do you think we'll be together forever?" Otto looked at her with attentive eyes.  
She sighed and smiled listlessly. "I hope so." She stole one more kiss, then walked back upstairs for bed.  
Otto watched her walk up the stairs, then he went to bed himself.  
  
That night, Otto woke up at two in the morning, having a hellish nightmare. He had awoken after dreaming he was back in Ocean Shores, and was surfing with Sunny. All of a sudden, Sunny wiped out, and didn't come back up from the water. When he went under to rescue her, she was no where to be found. He promptly sat up in bed, cold sweat running down his face. His heart racing, he ran up the stairs to Sunny, not caring if his grandparents heard him or not.  
He swung open the door with such force, it made a loud thump, making Sunny's eyes pop open and sit up. "What? What? What's going on? Where's the fire?" She looked at Otto, stupefied. He ran over to her, picking her up out of bed, and hugging her. "Oh my, God, I had the worst dream," he said shakily. "I dreamed we were surfing and you went under and didn't come back up. Oh my, God." He down far enough so she could stand.  
Sunny wrapped her arms around him and tried to comfort him. "It's okay, I'm here. It was only a nightmare." She kissed his cheek lightly and embraced him. They both sat down on the bed.  
"Oh man, I've never been that shook over a dream before." Otto still felt a little flustered and scared. "I guess you think I'm stupid, huh? Running up here, like some little kid running to his mommy."  
"No, no, I don't. I would have done the same thing. I'm glad you did; it shows how much you really care about me. Not many guys would have done that." She smiled up to him.  
He shrugged and could feel himself blushing, and was glad it was night so she couldn't see him. "Thanks."  
"Now go to sleep. You need to so you will be awake tomorrow at the party. Night." She kissed him softly and he went back downstairs. He fell asleep, but slept uneasy the rest of the night.  
"Otto! Wake up! It's two-fifteen in the afternoon! You gotta get ready for the festa, it starts in less than a few hours!" Mrs. Belvidere shook him awake. He saw her in a blur, and then she disappeared from the room in a rush.  
He sat up, yawned, and stretched his arms upward towards the ceiling. Forcing himself out of bed, he headed to the bathroom to take a shower.  
"All right, you i bambinis ready to go to the party? You remember how to do the saltarello?" Mrs. Belvidere kept on asking questions until they arrived at Otto's Aunt Fabiana's.  
Sunny could already hear the loud Italian music playing from outside. She began to walk behind Mister and Misses Belvidere, when Otto grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
"I want to warn you. This side of my family does drink, but only because it's custom when you party, in Italy. So don't take them the wrong way, okay?"  
Sunny nodded and held his hand, walking inside. As they walked in, Otto's family screamed, "Sorpresa!" (NOTE: Sorpresa - Surprise) Then, they began to sing "Il Compleanno felice." (Happy Birthday)  
"Oh, my God!" Otto was ecstatic. He couldn't believe they were throwing a surprise party for him. "I never even suspected!" 


	10. Hello, Matteo

"So, you ready to eat now? La mia bontà, I'm starved!" Otto's Aunt Fabiana asked. She grabbed Otto's wrist and pulled him into the dining room. She sat him down in a big chair at the end of the table.  
"We saved this seat especially for the il ragazzo di compleanno," stated his Uncle Sandro said as he tapped his hand on the table in front of him. "And guess who is here all the way from Venice? You're favorite Italian cousin, Matteo!"  
A tall guy with jet-black hair and dark skin strolled into the dining room. He had thin, arched eyebrows, a small goatee, and a serious look on his face. He looked at Otto and didn't even smile. But when he spotted Sunny, his dark eyes lit up and he smiled, his teeth big and white.  
"Why, Otto, is this your l'amica? She's quite the bellezza." He walked over to Sunny and kissed her hand. "Why, I have never seen an American as favoloso as you. Matteo Ugo Vanbicca, very nice to meet you Savannah."  
"How did you know…" Sunny was about to ask, but was interrupted.  
"I've heard so much about you. You are as fair as Otto says you are." There was a mysterious gleam in his eye. There was something funny about his charm, something scary, and Sunny knew it.  
"Oh, um, thanks. Nice to meet you too," Sunny said, perplexed.  
Otto was getting mad. He didn't like the way his cousin was trying to hit it off with his girl. "Sunny, Matteo is Uncle Sandro's son. His mother stayed at home because she was sick with the flu." He glared at his strangely handsome and charming cousin. Ever since Otto had known Matteo, he had been a fake, and would wrap girls around his finger, then leave them in the dust.  
"Excuse me while I go find a seat before they are all taken. Arrivederci." Matteo walked off and sat down a few chairs away.  
Fabiana walked back into the dining room with a big cake that said, "Il Compleanno felice, Otto!" in bright colors of orange, green, and blue, Otto's favorite colors. "All right, it's time for some cake!" It had thirteen burning candles on it.  
His family sang "Happy Birthday" for the second time, and then everyone ate cake.  
"Time for presents!" exclaimed Mrs. Belvidere. Everyone got up from the table and headed for the living room.  
Otto opened all his presents and thanked everyone. He had gotten some outfits, some CDs, and a cell phone (from his grandparents).  
"Hey, you got one more present." Sunny looked in her purse and pulled out a small box wrapped in orange paper. She handed it to Otto.  
Otto looked at her quizzically.  
"What? You think I'd forget the whole reason for us coming here? Open it." Sunny smiled.  
Otto unwrapped the gift and grinned. "Awesome!" He smiled and gave Sunny a hug. "This is the coolest…" What did Otto get from Sunny that was so awesome? Find out in chapter 11. 


	11. The Best Gift

Otto looked upon the gift that Sunny had given him. It was a silver chain necklace with a small, silver, flame-shaped charm on it. He flipped it over to read, "Happy Birthday, Otto. with love, Sunny," engraved on it. He smiled and put the necklace on.  
  
"Looks good on you." Sunny beamed, happy he had liked his present.  
  
The rest of the night was spent dancing the saltarello, and hanging out with family. Otto couldn't stop looking down at his chest, at his necklace. It was the best present he had gotten. He swore to himself that he'd never take it off.  
  
Finally, at twelve AM, the party was over. Everyone was tired, so they kissed Otto goodbye, wished him a happy birthday, and headed home. His Aunt Fabiana dragged out of the kitchen.  
  
"My, what a party! It was a real hoot!" She sighed, exasperated. She wiped her forehead and leant against the wall.  
  
"Thanks for the party, Fabiana. It was awesome." Otto gave his pooped aunt a hug.  
  
"Aww, you're very welcome." She hugged him back and kissed his forehead.  
  
"Well, we'd better be going. I'm esaurito. I need some rest now." Mrs. Belvidere thanked her daughter and she, her husband, Otto, and Sunny left.  
  
Sunny sat on the roof of the Belvidere's apartment and gazed upon the stars. It had only been three days so far since Sunny had left California to come to Italy, but it felt like forever. She had met the Belvideres those three days ago, but now she felt like she had known them for years. She loved them as much as if they were her own grandparents.  
  
Sunny heard a door shut behind her. She turned around to see Otto walking through the doorway. He advanced towards her and sat down beside her.  
  
"So, how is everything?" he asked curiously. He put his arm around her, and she leant against him.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, how is everything here?" He studied the silent city of Florence.  
  
"Oh, it's cool." She didn't know what else to say, since there was so many things.  
  
"So my family isn't annoying, or anything?"  
  
"Not at all! You're family is great." They were both silent for a few moments.  
  
Sunny broke the silence with a question. "Do you really like my gift? I mean, if you don't, I can return it."  
  
"Yeah, I love it. But there is one thing that is so much better than this necklace." Otto toyed with the flame charm, making the city lights reflect off of it. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you came here with me. If you didn't, I couldn't have even thought of anything else but you the whole time. It's been so hectic I never got a chance to thank you for coming. So thanks."  
  
Sunny smiled at the sweet statement. "No, it should be me thanking you. If it weren't for you and your grandparents, I wouldn't even be here. So thanks.and you're welcome."  
  
"You're welcome, too." He looked down at her and kissed her delicately on the lips.  
  
Sunny yawned and stated, "I'm so tired. I'm gonna go to sleep now, okay?" She stood and took one more look at the city.  
  
Otto stood as well, and agreed. "Yeah, me too. Come on, let's go in." They both walked in and went downstairs.  
  
"Hey, you know, I guess I'm not as tired as I thought I was. Why don't we stay down here for a few minutes and watch TV," Otto suggested.  
  
"Sure, but if I fall asleep, just leave me on the couch, okay?" Sunny rubbed her eyes and sat down on the plush, leather couch. Otto sat down beside her and turned on the TV with the remote.  
  
For about an hour, they watched Nick-at-Nite, and by the end of "All In the Family," Sunny had fallen asleep, her head resting on Otto's shoulder.  
  
Otto's eyes were beginning to feel heavy, and he didn't want to wake up Sunny by getting up, so he just watched a few more minutes of TV.  
  
Mrs. Belvidere walked into the living room around three to cut off the TV. She glanced at the couch to see Sunny with her head on Otto's shoulder, and Otto leaning his head on Sunny's.  
  
"Aww, how dolce. I won't wake them up." She smiled and went back to bed. 


	12. Trouble

The following morning, Sunny woke up to see the TV. She wondered if she had fallen asleep on the couch. She felt some thing warm beside her, and looked to her right to see Otto, asleep. She gasped and got up. Otto fell over to the left, and popped his eyes open.  
"What the?" He looked up to see Sunny standing before him. "Did we -both- fall asleep on the couch?!"  
"Seems to be that way! Oh my God, what are your grandparents going to think?" Sunny was in total anguish.  
Mrs. Belvidere walked from the kitchen. "It's okay, it's okay! I came in here last night to cut off the TV, and I saw you two asleep. You were so cute, all cuddled up together! So I decided not to wake you. I'm sorry if I caused a fright." She smiled and headed back into the kitchen.  
"Just don't tell anyone back at home about this. You know how they -think- things." Sunny laughed and headed into the kitchen, Otto trailing close behind.  
After breakfast, Sunny and Otto discussed what they were going to do that day.  
"Do you want to do something American, like go to a movie or something?" Otto asked.  
"No, because they're all in Italian, remember?" Sunny reminded him.  
"Oh, yeah." Otto pondered for a moment.  
Mrs. Belvidere walked in the living room. "I hate to interrupt your la conversazione, but I have good news and bad news."  
Otto and Sunny looked at her gravely.  
"Shoot." Otto motioned his grandmother to go on.  
"Well, the bad news is, you are going to have to stay home today."  
Otto and Sunny's faces went from lit-up to down struck. "Aww, how come?" Otto asked.  
"Well, the good news is the reason. Your cousin, Matteo, was so happy to see you, he talked his parents into staying here in Florence for an extra day! So you get to spend your whole day with Matteo! Isn't it grande?" Mrs. Belvidere seemed ecstatic.  
"Not exactly the news I wanted to hear." Otto sighed and looked disappointed.  
"Well, you have gotten to do what ever you wanted to since the day you came, so you need to spend time with your family now. L'ha preso?" Mrs. Belvidere asserted her words, in almost an angry tone.  
"But la nonna, you know as well as I do I can't stand Matteo. He's been jealous of me since we were kids." Otto made a wrathful and sickened face.  
"He's still la famiglia, Otto, and that's no excuse. He's your cousin, and you need to spend time with him. You may not seem him in years, or ever again!" Mrs. Belvidere's tone of voice got angrier.  
"That'd be too good to be true." Otto muttered.  
"All right, Otto Mitchell Rocket, I am tired of your l'atteggiamento and disrespect! This debate is over, and I mean it! One more word and you're andato!" And that was the end of that. Mrs. Belvidere stormed to the back of the apartment house.  
Otto sighed, and was thoroughly peeved. "Man, I can't believe this. Matteo is a creep, a big fat creep."  
"Don't worry, it's only one day," Sunny tried to comfort him. "You'll get over it."  
"I highly doubt it." Otto grumbled.  
Otto sat in the back yard in a lawn chair. He knew the only reason Matteo wanted to stay and spend time with him was because he liked Sunny. There was no other explanation. He knew that Matteo didn't like him anymore than he liked Matteo. Otto walked inside and up to Sunny's room.  
"Why would he like me?" Sunny asked. She leaned against the head of the bed and munched on some Pringles.  
Otto scrunched up his nose and grimaced. "Because your pretty. I mean, did you see the way he looked at you last night? It was all I could do to keep from stabbing him with the knife I used to cut my cake."  
"Otto!" Sunny was surprised by Otto's words. She had never heard him say anything like that before.  
"Well, I can't help it! He's a sleazeball, I'm telling you. You better watch it around him. There's no telling what his dirty mind is capable of." Otto scowled down at the floor as he paced back and forth.  
Sunny shook her head and laughed. "Don't worry about me. If you keep glowering like that, you're face is gonna crack. Come on, gimme a smile!"  
Otto's glare didn't soften. "How can I?"  
Sunny stood and walked over to her frenetic boyfriend. "I know." She looked up to him and kissed him. She jerked back and looked at him funny. "Lighten up, okay?"  
Otto sighed. "Okay, okay." He leant over and kissed her passionately. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. They broke the kiss and Otto frowned again. "I told you he ruins everything!" Otto walked out into the hallway and peered over the banister.  
Mrs. Belvidere opened the door to see Matteo standing there. "Matteo, il benvenuto! Otto is right upstairs if you want to see him. Make yourself at home."  
Matteo shammed a counterfeit smile. "Il nonna, piacevole per vederlo ancora! Ringraziarlo again for letting me visit today." He hugged his grandmother and headed up the stairs.  
"Otto? Otto, your preferito cousin is here to see you!" Matteo walked into the room where Otto and Sunny were. He eyes them peculiarly. "Oh, no, not la fabbricazione fuori, now are we? I hope your parents have taught you better, and to be casto, eh?"  
Otto gritted his teeth and hissed, "Nice to see you, too, Matteo. Psyche."  
Matteo pushed Otto out of the way and sat beside Sunny. "Hello, again, erotico americano ragazza. You're face is like an angelo. It glows like the morning sun." He leant over to kiss her hand, but she jerked it away.  
"Sorry, I'm taken," she managed to say. She got up and stood beside Otto.  
Matteo managed to laugh and he sat back. "Ah, americano ragazza, you never fail to play hard-to-get."  
"She's not playing hard-to-get, -Matt-, she said she was -taken-, so back off." Otto was beginning to hate his cousin even more than he had before.  
Matteo smiled deviously. "Oh, you know not to call me Matt, dear cousin, and don't be so croce. But you, my dear, may call me anything you like." He grinned at Sunny.  
Sunny scrunched up her nose and backed away. I wouldn't call you for dinner, she thought.  
"Get off your crap, -Matt-." Otto looked at him fiercely.  
Matteo still didn't seem taken aback. "Now, il cugino, no need to get brash."  
"I'll give you brash." Otto stepped forward as if he was about to hit him, but Sunny stopped him.  
"Why don't we get lunch, huh? We can think this over, okay?" Sunny was trying to be reasonable, and trying to prevent a verbal abuse breakout.  
"Fine." Otto bit his tongue, trying to withstand his urge to make a massacre of his cousin.  
Matteo agreed and they all went downstairs.  
Otto jabbed his fork into a pork chop and shoved it in his mouth. He glared tempestuously at his adulterated cousin. He hated him. There was no other word that could put so much meaning into it. He chewed up his pork chop like a savage, pretending it was his cousin's arm. He then swallowed the over-salted meat, almost gagging.  
"Are you okay, cousin?" Matteo asked, pretending to be concerned.  
"As if you cared." Otto insinuated. He swirled the mashed potatoes on his plate with such force, a plop of them landed on the floor. "Great." He reached for a napkin when Matteo grabbed it and went over to clean it up.  
"I've got it." He bent over beside Otto to clean up the potatoes. It was all Otto could muster to keep from taking his fork and jabbing it in the back of Matteo's neck. He could only imagine the little fork marks with blood spurting out of them. He shook his head, not believing he was thinking such things.  
"All clean!" Matteo stood up and went to throw the soiled napkin away.  
With Matteo's back turned, Otto shot him the bird. (Middle-finger) It made him feel a little better.  
Sunny sat there, mouth agape. She had never seen Otto be so hateful. "Otto!" she whispered, "what is your deal?!"  
"Him!" Otto almost yelled. He didn't feel like eating anything else. He just wanted to continue hating his cousin. He took his plate to dump in the trash and walked back to the table. "I'm going outside for a minute. Wanna come Sunny?"  
Sunny looked flustered, but agreed to go anyway.  
"What about cousin Matteo? Am I not invited?" Matteo stood before them, a sad look on his face.  
"No," Otto was about to say, but Sunny spoke before he could.  
"Sure." She was trying to avoid conflict as much as possible. 


	13. The Truth About Matteo

Otto and Sunny walked outside, Matteo close behind. Otto turned around to face his cousin.  
"Matteo, we need a few minutes alone, okay?" Otto tried to act as nice as he could.  
"Why, sure, cousin. I will leave you and your l'amica alone." He smiled coyly and headed back towards the house.  
"And stop it with the Italian, okay? I can speak it too," Otto sibilated. He watched his cousin walk into the apartment house and close the door. He knew Matteo was watching from somewhere, though. He knew Matteo would thoroughly enjoy watching them make out. But he wasn't going to get that kind of show.  
"Sunny, I have a plan." Otto turned to face Sunny.  
She nodded, and listened to Otto's plan.  
Otto walked into the house, gripping his stomach. "Dude, that pork chop really got to me. I need to go to the bathroom. Will you keep Sunny company until I come back?"  
"Why, sure, cousin, I'd love to." Matteo grinned allusively. When Otto closed the door to the bathroom, Matteo walked outside to see Sunny sitting in a lawn chair.  
"Hello, fair one. Otto said to come keep you company." Matteo drug up a lawn chair and sat beside her.  
"Why, yes, Matteo, he did. He wasn't feeling well. Poor fool." Sunny played along, and knew exactly what to do.  
Matteo looked at her with utter confusion. "Fool? Is there something I need to know?"  
Sunny smiled foxily. "Oh, yes, Matteo, there is."  
"Perhaps you feel the same way about me as I do you?" Matteo stood slowly, not keeping one eye off of Sunny.  
Sunny stood as well, planting her feet firmly on the ground, prepared for the unexpected. "Show me how you feel." She gave him her sexiest smile.  
Matteo could take no more. His urges became uncontrollable. He writhed his arms around her waist and kissed her.  
All of a sudden, the back door swung open. There stood Otto and Mrs. Belvidere.  
"Matteo Ugo Vanbicca! What do you think you are doing?" Mrs. Belvidere was furious. She stomped out of the house and grabbed Matteo by the ear. "Lei sporco perverte poco!"  
Matteo struggled and moaned, trying to free her grip. He viciously glared at Sunny. "You la femmina! I thought you liked me!"  
Sunny smiled craftily. "I never said I liked you." And she was telling the truth.  
After Matteo went home, Mrs. Belvidere apologized to Otto and Sunny.  
"I am so sorry, Otto for not believing you. I thought he was such a nice boy. And I'm sorry, Sunny, because of, well, you know. Oh il mio dio, I feel like a real il tallone. Please forgive me?" Mrs. Belvidere was being as sincere as she could.  
"Of course, la nonna, we forgive you," Otto said. He and Sunny both gave her a hug.  
"Ah, I feel molto meglio. To make it up to you, tell me anything you'd like to do, and I'll see what I can manage." Mrs. Belvidere smiled.  
Otto had a few things in mind, but he decided on something that she wasn't going to expect. "Why don't we just rent some movies and order some pizzas?"  
Mrs. Belvidere was shocked. "You want to spend time with the vecchio folk tonight?"  
Otto glanced at Sunny for approval. She smiled and nodded.  
"Yes, we would. And I need to apologize for getting a l'atteggiamento today. You've done so much for Sunny and me, that we need to spend some time with you and la nonno. After all, that is the reason I came." Otto grinned at his grandmother.  
"Aww, how dolce you are. If you call in the pizza, and tell me what movies you want, I will go get the movies and you can stay here. Your la nonno is asleep, though, so you can pick what ever movies you like!" Mrs. Belvidere seemed ecstatic.  
"Well," Otto suggested, "what movies would you wanna watch?"  
Mrs. Belvidere thought for a minute. "It doesn't matter. It's up to you."  
So Otto and Sunny told Mrs. Belvidere what movies they wanted, then she left them to order the pizzas.  
The night spent with Mrs. Belvidere was one of the best nights they had had so far. Sunny and Otto had no idea she could be so cool! The next day, and the days after, Otto knew exactly how he was going to spend them. 


	14. Last Days

Wednesday and Thursday were spent with Mister and Misses Belvidere. Otto, Sunny, and the Belvideres went all over Florence, exploring local art galleries, watching plays and movies, sitting at coffee shops and chatting, and much more. Even on Thursday, Otto decided to spend the day with his grandfather, and Sunny decided to spend the day with Otto's grandmother.  
Otto and Mr. Belvidere sat at home and watched sports on TV all day, while Sunny and Mrs. Belvidere went shopping.  
Sunny modeled some formal gowns, while Mrs. Belvidere looked for other dresses. The whole day was marvelous for everyone, but the sad truth came upon the next day (Friday).  
"Well, today's our last full day. We'd better enjoy it," Otto stated sadly as he looked out the window of the mid-sized apartment house. It was pouring rain outside, and even if it wasn't, they had been everywhere anyway.  
Sunny nodded and leaned more into the couch. She cuddled in her blanket as the rain beat against the windows, and thunder and lightning rumbled and streaked across the sky. "Yeah, it went by so fast. I kinda miss home, but I kinda don't, you know?"  
"Yeah." Otto walked traipsed over to the couch and sat down beside Sunny. "I'm gonna miss it here." He shivered and snatched some of the blanket from Sunny.  
"Maybe we should just stay here today, since it is raining and all. And we've been everywhere." Sunny seized the part of the blanket Otto had obtained, and wrapped it back around her.  
"Duh, we don't have much of a choice. Besides, there's nothing else to do." Otto pried Sunny's fingers from the blanket and plucked it from her grasp. "If you're not gonna share, I'm gonna take the whole thing." He laughed as he ran to the bottom of the staircase.  
Sunny giggled and ran after him, trying to acquire the blanket. "Gimme!"  
They both ran up the stairs and back down, Sunny still not quite getting the blanket. Mrs. Belvidere walked into the living room where they were playing tug-of-war with the blanket.  
"I bambini, I bambini! No need to wrangle over la coperta!" Mrs. Belvidere laughed and tried to get the blanket from them both. Finally, she succeeded.  
"You kids wear me out!" she managed to say, gasping for breath. "I have a solution. Why not I get you two blankets, eh?"  
"No way, it was mine first!" Sunny and Otto said in unison.  
"Okay, okay, okay! I have a solution. Just go sit on the couch."  
Otto and Sunny sauntered over to the couch and sat. "So, what's the solution?" Otto asked.  
Mrs. Belvidere shuffled over to them and grinned. "Now, you two sit close." She took the blanket and sheathed it around them tight. "Now, stay put. I am going to get Marco to tell you scary story."  
Otto and Sunny gulped and looked at each other with wide eyes. "Scary?" they said in alliance.  
"So, you want to hear scary story, eh? Well, I give you scary story." Mr. Belvidere turned off the lights and lit the fireplace. The warmth from the blazing fire filled the room quickly. He sat down in an old green chair and sighed. "Where should I begin?"  
"L'un del gatto posseduto. ..it prende Otto ogni volta!" Mrs. Belvidere suggested.  
"Ah, good one, Cascata! Okay, this one is called 'Desdemona.' I tell you." Mr. Belvidere began, but was interrupted.  
"Come on, la nonno, we want to hear the story." Otto smiled viciously.  
"Okay, I will begin. It is about a cat who is possessed by a demon, and every owner she is with dies mysteriously, and no one knows who the killer is." Mr. Belvidere looked at Otto.  
Otto gulped and put his arm around Sunny, even if it was difficult under the tightly wrapped blanket.  
Sunny looked at him funny.  
"Just in case, you know, you get scared," Otto lied, and blushed.  
"Mmm hmm," was all Sunny said and she faced Mr. Belvidere again.  
Mr. Belvidere told them the story about the demonic cat, Desdemona. By the end, Otto was shivering.  
"I hate that story. He used to tell it to me when I was a kid when he and grandma came to visit me in Ocean Shores," Otto explained to Sunny.  
Sunny laughed and got up to stretch. She glanced at the clock to see what time it was. "Wow, it's already three o'clock."  
"Well, you did sleep until one," Mrs. Belvidere reminded them.  
"What do you wanna do for the rest of the day?" Otto asked.  
"Hmm.I think I know just the thing." Sunny smiled and nodded her head. 


	15. One Last Look

Otto slowly traversed towards his grandmother. He tapped her on the shoulder gently.  
"Yes?" Mrs. Belvidere turned around and looked down at him.  
"La nonna, is it okay if Sunny and I spend our last bit of a day alone? I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything, so I decided to ask." Otto smiled up at his grandmother.  
Mrs. Belvidere's lips curved into a smile. "Sure, Otto, why would it hurt my feelings? I can completely understand why you would want to spend these last moments here with her."  
"Thanks, la nonna. And when I say thanks, I mean it for everything. The party, the plane tickets, the scooter, the whole trip. I love you a lot more than ever for that, and I'll be thankful everyday." Otto hugged his grandmother.  
"Il nipote, sarei perso senza lei. I love you too." She embraced him for a few seconds, then let him go, and sent him off to Sunny.  
"We spending all evening up here?" Sunny looked out upon the quiescent yet phosphorescent city.  
Otto sat down on the lawn chair beside her. "Yeah, I figured you'd want to. Is that okay?"  
"Of course! What better way could I spend my last night here, than to spend it with you?" Sunny leaned over and let him wrap his arms around her. The last week had been nothing but festivity and good times. For just a split second in time, Sunny saw herself standing on the pacific shoreline dressed in a white sun-dress with Otto standing by her side. Then, as soon as it had come, it was gone. She shook her head and smiled, wondering what that thought was all about.  
"Good." Otto and Sunny sat there most of the night, admiring the radiant cityscape.  
As it began to get late, Sunny and Otto decided to head in. Sunny turned around to take one last look at the brilliance of the city. She sighed and smiled sadly.  
"I hate to leave, but I can't stay forever."  
"Yeah, maybe we can come back some day, you know, if we get married. That way my grandparents can see us all grown up." Otto took her hand and walked towards the door.  
Sunny smiled and agreed. "Yeah." -When, you mean,- she thought. She just had a feeling it wouldn't be an "if." 


	16. Cosí Lungo, Italia So Long, Italy

Otto and Sunny rode to the airport in silence. Sunny gazed out the window and sighed. She didn't want to leave, even though she missed home a little.  
"Thanks for everything Mister and Misses Belvidere. I can't thank you quite enough. You've been like my very own grandparents." Sunny tried to smile but couldn't manage.  
"Oh, you're welcome pisello dolce. You've been like a grandchild to us, as well." Mrs. Belvidere wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, I'm going to miss you two."  
They finally arrived at the airport, Mrs. Belvidere's make-up smeared and almost gone. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks.  
Otto and Sunny picked up their luggage and put it on the carrier. "Ten minutes until flight 405," called an attendant over the intercom system.  
Otto and Sunny hugged Mister and Misses Belvidere. Sunny wiped the tears from her eyes, and thanked them both in between small sobs.  
"No need to cry, dear." Mrs. Belvidere hugged Sunny and kissed her on the cheek. She then walked over to Otto and hugged him. "Oh, il nipote, I'm going to miss you too!"  
Otto's vision blurred from tears. He tried hard to hold them back, but gave up, and they began to trickle down his face. He smiled, trying to cover up his grief. "Thank you so much, grandma. I'm gonna miss you so much. I love you."  
"Oh, Otto, you're more than welcome. I love you too." She waved them on to their plane. "Go, before you are late." They waved goodbye and walked out and onto the plane.  
"Arrivederci, my loves." Mrs. Belvidere wiped the tears from her eyes one more time. 


End file.
